Rumour: 3DS Lets You Install Multiple Games To Memory

By Ishaan . June 17, 2010 . 10:31am

According to Japanese tabloid, Nikkei, [via Andriasang] the Nintendo 3DS features the ability to install software to memory, thus enabling you to take multiple games and apps with you on the go, without having to carry a separate cartridge for each one.

The feature, Nikkei elaborate, will allow you to swap between different games from the system’s main menu. While we’re tagging this a rumour, Nikkei are usually spot-on with their Nintendo predictions, so don’t be surprised if this is true and Iwata and Reggie simply didn’t mention it at their press conference.

Read more stories about Nintendo & Nintendo 3DS & Rumor on Siliconera.

http://twitter.com/stoppableforce stoppablefrc#1964

I dunno, it almost sounds like the DSi is going to be able to use DSiWare and Nikkei just misinterpreted it. Think about it – carrying multiple games and apps, switchable from the main menu without carrying a bunch of cartridges?

As much as I’d like this to be a feature, I’m not getting my hopes up until Nintendo actually announces it themselves.
- malek86
  
  This. It’s probably just like DSiware.I mean, think of how it would work: if they don’t have any kind of protection, people would be able to buy just one game and then pass it to all their friends. The only way to avoid it, would be to somewhat give codes to every cartridge, so that the game will only be usable on that console once installed, kinda like a Windows license. But if that were the case, you can say goodbye to used games.I think it’s just a mistranslation, and they actually meant DSware.
  - Ren
    
    Actually, if the games saved on the video-game, wich would kind of be a need if you could tranfer games from cartridge to memory so you wouldn’t need to transfer your save file from memory to cartridge too when you wanted to delet the game from your unit, you could use the flash memory of the 3DS cartridges to record the serial number of the 3DS were the game was instaled or something like that and use this to block the cartridge on working on any other 3DS until you deleted the downloaded game and unblocked the cartridge again.
    
    Though it makes me wonder about the internal memory size, since they confirmed the cartridges will have support up to 2 GB on launch, and if they do it like they did with the GBA and the DS, they will probably launch cartridges with even more disk space later.
- Electrium
  
  Did you read the article on Andriasang? That’s not what it sounds like to me.
  
  “The paper notes that due to this feature, there’ll be no need to swap cartridges. When outside of the home, you won’t need to carry game cartridges with you.”
  http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/06/17/3ds_software_install/
http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=2704923 Buntar0

This would open the door to massive DRM/anti-used-games/anti-rent-to-friends measures as well.
http://www.mengsbizarreadventure.com Mengplex

I imagine there would probably be a limit so you wouldnt be able to just install everyones games to keep forever. Maybe Let you install 2 or 3 games at a time only or something
DarkWaterClone

I could see this being really cool if this is true. I also think Gamestop would not get hurt from this. Say if you buy Kid Icarus: Uprising it comes with the 3DS disc plus a voucher. You put in the code & now you can play the game without the disc. Maybe if you want a voucher with the game you have to pay an extra price. But that would be alright. This way you do not have to have the disc in.

So you can then sell the 3DS game if you want. But the person buying the game will have to use the disc instead. So this way Nintendo will try to stop people from buying used from Gamestop. But if you do buy from them you will have to use the disc & not be aloud to play the game without the disc.

So it could also stop people from hacking their systems. Just so they can take the 3DS without a disc & have multiple games instead of just one. So this could be a smart move to stop pirates. I just hope no pirates could find a way to trick the system & get games for free.
- Code
  
  uhh… So what’s stopping people from turning around and just selling the game card once they have the voucher, and making some money back >w<; I figure it’s either talking about just downloading games from a download service, much like if you were to download games to any current gen system, rather then saving a copy directly from a card. Alternatively perhaps if they were referring to saving directly from a card, similar to installing 360 games, but given game cards can hold information too, they could make it so once the game card has been downloaded to your system, it’ll lock only it to that exact system from that point on. Then to unlock the game card, you need the exact card in the 3DS again, in order to uninstall the game from your system.rar, honestly this seems like a tricky situations to work around pirates, but if they try tackling it, all the power to them, because in my opinion that is one of the weakest aspects of portable gaming this generation, great systems, great games, but lugging along a bag full of games is a pain in the side.
- Ren
  
  There’s only one thing with your theory. Nintendo 3DS uses cartridges. Look at the video-game’s back on a video, like the Iwata Asks from E3, and you’ll see a cartridge port like the one on the original DS line. Also, the nintendo E3 site already confirmed the game will use cartridges up to 2 GB at launch. If you don’t believe me, check *http://e3.nintendo.com* and look at the specs on the 3DS page.
Jellybit

It seems some of you are making assumptions about how it works. There are a few ways they could be doing this. The cartridge could be marked as “copied” in its save data, and not work in another DS while that flag is up. To take the game off your DS, you insert the cartridge and move ownership to the cart again. There. No two people could play at the same time, and no one would buy your cart in that state. Seems like a smart idea, as a major reason I got a copier in the past was so that I could keep my library with me (improving portability). I don’t like loose pieces with my portable systems.
http://twitter.com/VietKnight Alexander Le

I could guess that it might be installing the game and leaving it there for 7 days then it automatically delete itself or you still need the game to run it but can take it out in the middle of play if someone wants to play it. But who knows how it would work might say virtual console game probably, but no on all options I mentioned.

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